LoZ: The Wings of Darkness
by ZeldaMoogle
Summary: A year has passed since Link defeated Veran and Onox, saving both Holodrum and Labrynna. But when Nayru mysteriously disappears and Link ends up getting captured in an effort to investigate, who will save the Hero before it's too late? One-sided LinkxOC
1. Prologue: Wings of Darkness

A/N: To those of you reading my other story Golden Pendant--I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I've been slacking on that one recently in partial favor for this one; but actually it's become infested with Plot Bunnies (don't ask), so I'm going to let it quietly stew a bit before coming back to it. Not to mention I tend to have gear-switches like this once in while where I can't seem to move on in one story but somehow manage to start writing more of another... . So you get to read Golden Pendant's prequel now, hehe! =D

Which leads me to an introduction to this story. This actually comes one year after the plot of Oracle of Ages; however, be warned that some things might be a little messed up or turned around, as I've not been able to beat or even get very far in said game. So most of what I know comes from what little I've played as well as what I've heard. However I have played significantly more of OoA's parter Oracle of Seasons, so I do have some idea of the concepts in those games and how they tie together. And for anything that might seem out of continuity, I just made up my own stuff for it--which is the great thing about fanfictions!

Alright, I think I'll shut up now. Enjoy, and please leave a comment! This was my very first fanfiction ever (though this is its 3rd/4th rendition), so it holds a particular place in my heart somewhat different from GP but equally as important to me.

!Apetito Bueno! =)

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**Prologue: Wings of Darkness**

Vaden's boots made rhythmic taps against the stone stairs down which she traversed, nervously following her master's heavier tread. Before her—amidst the depths of darkness which would have made any other light-dweller cringe with fear—the huge man's heavy cloak whispered along at his heels like a demonic familiar, beckoning her onward despite the faint feeling of misgiving starting to take hold in the pit of her stomach.

Finally, after what felt like centuries had passed, the pair ended their interminable descent down the dark stairwell and into what the apprentice could best describe as an equally-interminable cavern. Though her cat-like eyes—with the help of her magic—could penetrate within a few dozen yards of the gloom, the shadows jealously cloaked the remainder of the enormous space in impenetrable murkiness. Her slow, cautious footsteps farther into the cave echoed eerily, telling her that what she could see was but a fraction of the underground room's total volume. Not a sound other than her and her master's movements disturbed the silence.

More at ease within the darkness than his apprentice, Vaden's master brushed past her hesitating figure and strode confidently through the shadows. They quickly retreated like the monsters he commanded above ground, cowering in fear at his power.

Not wishing to be left behind and swallowed up by the vengeful shadows, Vaden darted after him.

The pair at last halted in what Vaden assumed to be the center of the cavern, at least a good hundred yards from where they had stepped off the staircase. A question about what was to happen next burned on the tip of her tongue, but the sorceress-in-training bit it off determinedly; it would soon be answered, she was sure.

She watched with mild interest as the man began the summoning ritual. This was nothing new, as she had rehearsed it countless times before with her master. The ancient Hylian rolled off his tongue as smoothly as poisoned water to Vaden, a thought which made her smirk.

Soon, however, her smirk morphed into a frown—the sorcerer had paused in his recitation and moved a single step farther into the darkness. His body shimmered faintly with magical energy, illuminating the rim of an otherwise invisible round pit before his feet. When he continued the spell, it was in words Vaden did not know. She subtly clenched one hand into a fist as a brief flicker of irritation ran through her; her master was keeping secrets, neglecting her training and keeping her in the dark to be sure she stayed in check!

'_Well we'll just see how long _that_ lasts,'_ the apprentice thought maliciously.

The beginning of an underground vibration jerked her thoughts back to the summoning, her mind frantically searching out the source of the disturbance. Apparently, her master had lied about more than just the ritual—he had not mentioned anything the likes of _this_ in his explanation of the effects of summoning, either.

Vaden did not dwell on it, however, instead concentrating on what was going on around her; a single moment of inattention could be her last. The rumbling steadily intensified in harmony with the mint green glow that slowly began to illuminate ancient runes lacing across the pit's endless depths. As it reached and passed the point where she could not hear her master's words, Vaden began to feel the slightest inklings of doubt and anxiety. What if Ky'rel was not subdued by the sorcerer's powers? A far greater terror than anything his powers could create would be unleashed, left to ultimately destroy the world they sought to conquer.

When the cloaked figure stepped away from the brink, brimming with so much satisfaction Vaden could feel it, she hesitantly questioned, "Master? Are you sure this is wise?"

He snorted derisively. "Watch," his deep bass voice commanded.

Just as he spoke, a deafening roar echoed from the abyss. The bright light, which had by now solidified into orbs that ricocheted against the pit's sides, flashed twice powerfully before exploding into a neon fountain that splashed in waves of unimaginable power over the magicians. Released from the clutches of the confining glow, an enormous shape only visible due to its darker-than-night coloring let out another earth-shaking roar in its ecstatic flight around the cavern. The breath of its wings as it passed overhead was so strong Vaden could barely stand, instead obliged to fortify her stance with magic.

The summoned beast made one more pass around the cavern before noticing the one who had called it. With a trumpeting cry of bloodlust it dove toward the stone where the pair stood, its great maw opened to swallow them up whole. Vaden reflexively retreated a single step, wondering if her master was going to do anything or let the monster have its way.

At the last moment before she feared they would have been as good as gone, however, the sorcerer raised his hand and leveled a powerful beam at the monster's head and chest. The dragon—for that was what Vaden could now see it was by the glow of the magic—howled in pain as it was thrown back from its intended prey, landing heavily on the stone across the endless shaft from them.

"You see, my apprentice?" her master crooned, his voice dripping with smug self-assurance.

Seeming to hear this, the dragon leapt back into the air for another try at the infuriating magician. Yet again it was cast back—this time bound to the ground by invisible chains it could not break. One red eye glared balefully at its captor, a growl of resentment rumbling so strongly through its body that the stone beneath their feet trembled.

The sorcerer smirked, turning from his new minion with an arrogant flick of his cloak.

"We have nothing to fear."

**..oo00O*O00oo..**

As his blade smoothly slid into the large stomach of the last Moblin to stand against the Hero of Time, Link heaved an internal sigh of relief.

Kicking the enormous corpse off his sword, the blond warrior raised crystal eyes to scan the clearing in which he stood, poised to intercept more unseen threats. After a few tense moments spent scanning the wood-line, he relaxed and lowered his blade to wipe the black blood on a patch of clean undergrowth.

'_These monsters are far more active than they should be,'_ Link noted uneasily as he hefted the Master Sword in his left hand to a readier grip. _'Not to mention they seem to be looking for something. I hope Nayru's alright…'_

Shoving down worry and doubt which would kill him in combat as surely as any mortal weapon, the Hero easily stepped over the pig-like monster's body toward the clearing's opposite edge. He avoided the path lest he should be ambushed, glancing around far more often than he did normally in times of peace. Not a sound other than his own footfalls interrupted the blanket of stillness that lay over the woods; not even a squirrel disturbed the treetops, nor did the river a few dozen yards beyond his sight dare speak above an inaudible murmur.

Everything was still. Absolutely still.

After what felt like agonizing hours later but was only ten minutes, an unusual noise intruded on Link's hearing. His long Hylian ears twitched faintly at the crackling that filtered through the trees ahead of him—from the clearing in which Nayru had built her two-room cottage.

A twelve-year-old memory triggered by the familiar sound darted through his mind, feeding his unease as his pace quickened unconsciously. Heart pounding, the warrior threw caution to the wind and stepped back onto the forest path, breaking into a sprint toward his destination. The crackling grew increasingly more noticeable, so much so that Link felt his breath catch as a realization crept over him.

Angrily he shoved it back. _'No. No, it can't be—it _can't!_ Not after the last time, please… _Please_ don't say I'm too late _again_.'_

Alas, his prayer went unanswered.

Link skidded to a halt as he rounded a turn in the path, eyes widening as they took in the flames licking wildly at the treetops and surrounding undergrowth. Black clouds billowed thickly from the charred remains of a building nestled between dozens of fallen pines and ash-darkened hardwood trunks, filling the once-pure air with a choking smokescreen. A resounding _crack_ ricocheted across the clearing when the fire snapped off an enormous limb of the oak that had once provided Nayru shade as she played her harp for the forest creatures. The flame's symphony crescendoed feverishly as it eagerly devoured the new fuel.

A kind of numb resignation took over his limbs as the Hero slowly stepped between piles of debris left behind in the inferno's devastating wake, carefully avoiding ground fires so as to keep from melting his boots' leather soles. The heat barely bothered him—considering he had experienced much worse when he ventured to the center of an active volcano—so he continued to moved dazedly along a crooked path toward the gutted corpse of Nayru's forest dwelling. Somehow he still harbored a hope that maybe his charge and her attendant had survived; yet a voice in the back of his mind reminded him of the last time he had seen an entire village razed in the same manner, and how many survivors had escaped from that unscathed.

'_Exactly one,'_ he grumbled, frowning viciously.

Allowing the expected guilt to run its course, Link sighed and sheathed his weapon; after twelve years, he found it much easier not to confront it, but rather let it flow over him like a rock in a raging river. The fire was obviously beyond any control now, but still he made an attempt to force it within some boundaries so as not to burn down the entire Forest of Time. Besides, the work helped to keep his mind distracted from the past and focus on the future, especially with such pressing matters to consider as finding who had done this and being sure the Oracle was safe.

'_The Maku Tree will need to know,'_ he noted, making a mental to-do list starting with that one observation. _'Then the question becomes, how do we go about investigating this? Anyone or anything could have started this, though one thing's for sure—this was no freak accident. …Hm?'_

Link paused in dragging a huge, charred tree he had found to mark off the edge of the burnt clearing, cocking his head curiously at a trail of scrape marks etched into the ground some fifty yards from Nayru's cottage. A second memory came to mind as he scrutinized the deep gouges, this one far older and more vital to his growing problem than the last.

'_Volvagia's claws made the same marks,'_ he mused, dropping the log temporarily to get a better look at his discovery. _'But she only had two feet. There look to be four here, and then there's that snake-like track behind them.'_ He scowled at the tracks, concentrating furiously in an effort to decipher the muddled claw marks.

After staring at the odd arrangement for a few moments, the answer finally hit him square in the face. _'A Calosus dragon—of course!'_ He moved in a crouch along the line of claw-prints the enormous beast had left behind, mind racing as he put the pieces together. _'It flew into the clearing, probably taking Nayru by surprise, and started burning everything in its way before flying off again. Now the question becomes 'why'—unless…_

'_Someone's after Nayru.'_

———————

"That's about all I could tell from the evidence at the clearing," Link concluded, crossing his arms. "The fire had been burning for a while, so any other clues that might have been there were long gone."

Before him, the tree which was the Great Deku Tree's kindred spirit in Labrynna groaned in a fashion that resembled a contemplative 'hmm' from a human. The Maku Tree's willowy limbs dipped gracefully into the shallow pool surrounding her, tracing a rippling trail through the crystal water.

_There was no sign of the Oracle?_ she questioned in her airy voice. Link nodded, knowing she would be able to sense the motion in her own way. _Hm. Then this dragon that you mentioned is going to prove more dangerous than I first thought; a dragon performing in such a drastic and specific manner is no rogue creation pulled from the void by chance. It is quite likely we will find a much more cunning master behind the monster._

"Who could it be, though?" Link questioned, shifting his weight onto one foot impatiently; he hated dealing with the unknown, as much as he _had_ had to deal with it. "With Veran gone, I can't think of anyone who might threaten Labrynna. Hyrule is one thing—_everyone_ wants a piece of us, it seems—but Labrynna…"

_There remain many cruel-hearted men out there without Veran's influence, Hero; you of all people should know that,_ the tree reminded. _For all we know there may be one among them with the power and motivation to attempt the creation of any number of beasts to avenge or even revive their fallen idol. Nayru's powers would be a great aid to them in either endeavor._

The seventeen-year-old sighed, unfolding his arms as he sensed the end of the conversation. He slipped a hand under the rim of his long green cap to reach a particularly irritating itch as he contemplated the Maku Tree's words, considering his options. A last thought occurred to him before he excused himself from the Tree's presence: "Do you think there's a possibility that this might be another cross-dimensional effort, and we have another Veran-and-Onox duo to deal with here?"

Her branches shook in her equivalent of a human's shrug. _I believe it is unlikely. Certainly a combination of Din and Nayru's powers would be desirable to our enemies, but considering what setbacks they have experienced with the loss of two powerful generals, I deem it unlikely. If it concerns you, however, I will relay a warning to my colleague in Holodrum._

Link nodded, satisfied for the moment that he would be notified of any outside threat before it managed to affect his operations in Labrynna. "So what do we do next? Do we have any other clues to go on?"

_There is…one,_ she answered hesitantly. _I sense a veil of evil being drawn around Nox Castle. It is likely the lair of our new enemy is that castle; you may find it worth your while to investigate, though I recommend you take some others to aid you in the event that this prediction bears fruit. Lynna's people may not be warlike, but what soldiers we have should suffice for an expedition, should you choose to embark on one._

"Thank you," the warrior thanked sincerely, smiling. "If that's all, then I guess I should be getting provisions together to check out that castle."

He only made it to the slightly ajar double doors sectioning off the Tree's grotto from the rest of the city before she stopped him. _One last matter, Hero—perhaps it is time for the Hyrulean child to embark on her own destiny._ A breath of wind gently pulled at her drooping limbs. _Do you not agree?_

Link's heart sank marginally, misgivings filling the space left behind; the same memory and its accompanying remorse triggered by the flames that had consumed Nayru's home was tugged to the surface of his thoughts by her words. Overcome by the swamping emotions, he put a hand over his face and sighed melancholically.

'_The day I am not haunted by debts of regret and failure will be the day I die,'_ he brooded sorrowfully, levering himself off the wall on which he had propped himself while succumbing to his inner demons.

To the Maku Tree, he merely replied tersely, "Of course. The suggestion is a wise one."

And with that, the enigmatic Hero of Time disappeared like an unseen tear through the crack between the doors protecting the guardian tree.


	2. Chapter 1: Warrior's Beginnings

**A/N:** I'm back! Not much to say about this chapter; just a bit of a filler, really, though it is really very important. One little note: a hand (when describing equine height) equals four inches. One big note: pleeeease review? There are exactly 14 visitors to this story in the first 10 days. I know one of you at least has a comment...right? :) Reviews keep me (and, subsequently, this story!) running! :D

**NOTA BENE, 1/2010:** I'm going to instate the same policy I have on another of my stories which seems to have worked very well. No more chapters until I get AT LEAST 2 reviews from 2 separate reviewers. ?Comprende? Bueno.

Now please enjoy the next chapter until some-two decide to review. ^_^

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**Chapter 1: Warrior's Beginnings**

"No, no!" her father chastised lightly, rolling his brown eyes with slight annoyance. "If you do that, you're going to end up hitting yourself instead of the target. Now _pay attention_; the motion is like this—"

Vanessa Satori followed Kayne's words carefully this time, being sure they were imprinted clearly in her mind before holding her sword in the proper direction for the slice he was attempting to teach her. Her expression pulled down into a deep frown of concentration as she stared at the long blade in her hands, as if that alone would force it to perform the required maneuver. Gathering her energy and back-weighting as she had been taught, the brunette held the hilt in both hands before unleashing her coiled-up muscles with a shout. She easily crossed the ten-foot distance between her and her instructor, bringing her blade down powerfully against the shield which he held as a target.

"Good—very good!" Kayne praised, lowering the thick, metal-bound disk of wood to appraise his grinning student. "It seems you finally have the jump slice under control. How do you feel about a proper sparring match again?"

Flicking some stray hair from her bangs out of her hazel eyes, Vanessa beamed at her father. "Really? You think I'm ready?"

Kayne returned her smile gently, his gleaming eyes lightening his weathered, middle-aged face with a warm glow. "We'll just have to see. You've certainly improved since we started—maybe you have a chance."

Excitedly the girl backpedaled a few paces, raising her longsword before her defensively in preparation for the start of the match. Flipping her braid over her shoulder, she exclaimed, "Alright then—let's do this!"

Though he laughed at her enthusiasm, Kayne lost no time engaging her in close-quarters combat. Dodging around his shield to the right, Vanessa circled to his back in an attempt to force a yield from behind. However her father was smarter than this and simply jabbed the butt of his spear toward her to discourage the action. As she wheeled away, searching for an opening, he skillfully morphed the jab into a spin to face her, the spear's blunt point narrowly missing.

Vanessa resisted the urge to run backwards from his next charge. Instead she sidestepped the lance to get inside his guard, twisting her sword so the hilt and pommel smacked into his chest; skewering him with the blade itself wasn't exactly an option in this fight. The force of her strike forced him to assume the defensive, retreating until her weapon could not reach past the protective arc of his spear.

"Well done so far, Vanessa," Kayne commended. "And technically I could actually say you won this fight, because in a real battle you wouldn't have been so merciful with that pommel thrust. However I'm sure you wish to try yourself in a much longer fight, so we'll let that slide for now."

Nodding to show she understood, Vanessa readied her sword for another charge. Unfortunately, just before she made her move, a commanding voice interrupted them.

"Vanessa, put that infernal thing down and come here!" her mother's voice called from their house's back door. "There's someone I want you to meet!"

Perplexed, she slowly lowered her weapon, glancing inquisitively at her father. Kayne sighed but motioned for her to obey, taking the longsword from her before she left. "Don't worry about cleaning up this time; your mother seems to have more important things in store for you at the moment."

Vanessa smiled briefly at him. "Alright. Thanks, Father."

As the girl jogged easily from the makeshift sparring ring her father had set up in their backyard two years ago, she contemplated who Aylena could possibly want to introduce her to now. Considering the fact that the buxom woman was extremely social and had connections to nearly everyone in the large town, Vanessa was slightly surprised to find that there was someone in Lynna she hadn't met yet. But she shrugged and put her musings aside; whoever it was, she was going to meet them now. Thinking about the whys and how's wouldn't change anything.

Her blond brother—seven years younger than her at the age of nine—bounced up to her as she stepped over the threshold. "Betcha can't guess who, betcha can't guess who!" he announced in a sing-song tone as she knocked the autumn mud off her boots.

Rolling her eyes at Soran's antics, the girl retorted lightly, "It's Mayor Penn inquiring about the state of the yearlings in training for the militia cavalry."

"Nope—even better!" the youth giggled, his brown eyes dancing in a mirror image of his excited feet. "You'll never believe it, Ven! You won't!"

"Soran, stop bothering your sister and let her get on with it!" Aylena chastised from the kitchen to their right. "You come and help me with these potatoes, you right little scallywag."

Laughing at her brother's disappointed groan, she mussed his hair playfully before continuing down the entrance hall into the living area proper to greet her visitor.

Upon rounding the corner, however, she immediately stopped in her tracks and involuntarily gasped.

A smile tugged at the corner of the other Hylian's lips, crystal eyes twinkling with half-concealed mirth. "What? Never seen a Hyrulean before?"

Vanessa forced her muscles to relax and offered the Hero of Time a tentative smile in return. "Ah, n-no, Hero—it's just…"

The blond warrior nodded understandingly, uncrossing his arms beneath the concealing black cloak. Expanding his arms in a gesture that revealed parts of the green tunic beneath the travel garment, he answered for her: "The average Hylian doesn't usually see the hero of three worlds—or more—randomly show up in their living room. Am I correct?"

She nodded, slowly regaining her composure. "Y-yeah." Following an awkward pause, the girl mentally slapped herself before saying, "What a poor host I am! Please, have a seat, Hero."

The Hero smiled gratefully, bowing humbly in what she suspected was an attempt at humor to make her more at ease. "Why, thank you, gracious lady. However, you don't have to call me 'Hero'; it gets tiring after a while. Please, call me Link."

Fearing that he would see the blush quickly painting her expression, Vanessa ducked her head as Link nonchalantly seated himself in her father's armchair. His eyes never left her, prompting her to do something to fill the silence that threatened to settle over them. "Um—w-would you like something to drink? Are you hungry?"

Smiling again—'_Damn it, that's _not _helping!'_—he shook his head. "No, thank you. I satisfied myself before stopping by." Noticing her discomfort, he expanded his smile encouragingly. "We can drop the formalities, if you wish; I've never been one for pomp and circumstance, anyway. Go ahead and sit down."

Embarrassed—both by her unusual timidity and being ordered around in her own home by a hero—the girl did so, forcing herself not to flop ungracefully onto the couch across the room from Link.

Before she could speak again, however, her guest dropped his cool façade and leaned forward. His angled features were set in a mask of seriousness, gauntleted hands nervously clasped together in front of him. "Aylena told me you were practicing swordplay with Kayne before I arrived," he stated bluntly.

Taken off-guard by the abrupt comment, Vanessa eyed Link warily, sizing up the blue hilt protruding from his cloak and behind his shoulder. "Why does that concern you?" she questioned slowly. "A little friendly sparring between father and daughter is nothing to frown at. And how did you know my parents' names?"

A wry smile that did not reach his eyes crossed his lips. "Your mother told me; no, in fact that's a good sign; and it concerns me because if you are to travel with me, you will need a good sense of your limits with a sword. I don't have time to be teaching a wide-eyed recruit how to hold their weapon when a flock of Kargorocs are diving at us."

Bewildered, she merely stared at the boy—who she just now realized could not be much older than her—as his words processed. "Wait—you want me to…wait. _What?_"

Seeing her wide-eyed expression of shock, Link chuckled, appearing relieved by something. Once more at ease, he laced his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Yes, in fact, I do.

"Allow me to explain why I'm here: the crux of it is, Nayru is missing, evil magic is stirring in the north, and the Maku Tree specifically requested that I bring you along on my expedition to investigate this." He raised one hand to stall Vanessa's obvious question. "And before you ask, I don't have a clue why she would specify you; probably some kind of intuitive hero sense or something." He sighed amusedly, shaking his head. "It seems every guardian or leader I meet has something like that…

"Anyway—" The Hero stood in one fluid motion that appeared unnaturally quick to Vanessa, clapping his hands together with finality. "The offer stands: Vanessa Satori of Lynna, will you answer the call to follow me and my men on a perilous—possibly life-threatening—expedition to the north, or remain home and continue to improve your skills in obscurity?"

Silence descended on them as Vanessa merely sat where she was, staring unseeingly at the hand Link had extended to her. A look of utmost patience was on his face, as if he understood the turmoil she was going through.

_'This—this is a big choice,'_ the girl realized, closing her eyes and putting a hand to her head as if to focus her thoughts. _'I mean, I'll be leaving everyone behind for who _knows _how long if what…Link said is true. Yet—Father once said he feels I'm meant for greater things than the family business, or even the militia.'_

_"The Hero of Time is calling upon your skills,"_ the voice she recognized as her impulsive half whispered.

_'But what if I die in this venture? I don't know if I want to risk inflicting that pain on my family,'_ she countered.

_"You are stronger than that, Vanessa; and with the Hero of Time watching, you have nothing to fear. And he can teach you more than Kayne _ever_ could!"_

She frowned, rubbing her temple wearily. _'But who says life by the sword is really what I'm meant for? Mother's always said…'_

_"Forget that—you're young yet and have so much potential! Imagine how much greater you could be, how much respect you could garner by aiding the Hero in his quest. But more than that—you can help so many in this capacity. If this truly turns out to be another large-scale battle like the fabled confrontation with Veran…why, you could be a hero in your own right, and save thousands from darkness!"_

"Does my mother know what you're asking?" Vanessa questioned hesitantly.

Link was still half-smiling. "Of course. I would not come to you unless she had given her permission first."

Slowly, the girl's optimism returned. Her blood began to race with anticipation as she considered the boons from this venture. She would finally be free to roam, away from the encumbering chains of her mother's constant attempts to make her throw down the sword and take up sewing—or "something more respectable for a young lady!" as her mother put it.

Her mind made up, Vanessa stood with renewed vigor and looked from the proffered hand to the Hero's eyes. With a curt nod she clasped his hand, sealing the deal. "Count me in."

———————

Her memory of the hurried packing that ensued following her agreement to Link's request would later become a blur in her mind. At the time, however, her life felt as if it was moving by with perfect clarity. In minutes the objects of her life had been examined and kept or left behind until only the bare necessities fit into a twenty-pound rucksack on her back, including her short sword and light buckler. The majority of the weight and space was taken up by a bedroll, blanket, and some medical supplies; all but the smallest food items would be packed on their horses.

As soon as the packing was completed, she, Soran, and Aylena stood on the small lawn in front of the house to say their good-byes. Vanessa briefly wondered where Kayne had gotten to as she returned her mother's teary-eyed embrace. At the boy's begging, she picked Soran up and lightly tossed him above her head, catching him again to indulge in an affectionate noogie, their laughter lending an air of humor to the scene. The Hero of Time watched with a guarded smile from his place beside a huge blood-red mare a short distance away, almost unnoticed by the small family.

Vanessa turned and put her brother down at the sound of hoof beats coming around the side of the house nearest their little gathering. Her father appeared soon after, leading a relatively small white horse—no larger than fifteen-and-a-half hands at the withers—behind him by the reins. The stallion was completely tacked and ready for an excursion, which puzzled her.

Kayne answered the question in her eyes when he stopped before her. "You'll need a good horse; by all accounts, the Hero's steed is one of the fastest, smartest, most-devoted any horseman could wish to have." He gave her a soft smile, extending the hand with the reins toward her. "I figured the least I could do is send you off with one to match, considering the occasion."

Tears pricked her eyes, though not entirely from sadness. She forced a smile yet didn't move to take the stallion's reins. "Father, I…I couldn't."

Kayne smiled understandingly. "I am getting on in years, Vanessa, and cannot handle as many horses as I once did. Seril is young and free-spirited, but smart. He deserves to get out more and learn from experience—not just drills in a ring." He took her hand and pressed the leather in his into hers with a firmness that brooked no argument. "Remember, take good care of him, and he will take care of you."

Unable to control her emotions, Vanessa threw her arms around her father in a grateful, loving hug. Seril snorted in light irritation at the sudden gesture, but made no indication of true skittishness. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling away after a moment. "I'll come back as soon as I can."

"All that matters is you stay sharp, remember what I taught you, and listen to the Hero—if he can't get you back here safe, then no one can," he advised. "We'll wait as long as we have to, so long as the mission is complete. May the Goddesses watch over you."

Vanessa lifted the reins over Seril's head as she moved to his near flank, gathering them up in one hand again in preparation to mount. "And you as well, Father."

With that, the girl placed her foot in the stirrup and gracefully swung a leg over Seril's back, quickly settling herself in the comfortable travelling saddle. The stallion lifted a foreleg impatiently, champing at the bit in his eagerness to be off. Aylena began rattling off last-minute words of advice as her daughter nudged the horse into a walk toward Link, who had also mounted and was waiting for her at the corner of the house. Beyond him, the road curved to the left down a steep incline, where it then merged with the town's main road and passed through Market Square.

She could hear her family calling fare-wells and good-byes until long after the pair had disappeared from sight.

"So," Vanessa began once they had reached the edge of the market. "Where to first?"

Link didn't look behind him as he carefully steered his mare around some children darting through the street, which was slowly becoming more congested the closer they came to the Market. "I already spoke with the Mayor about lending me some soldiers," he explained. "We're going to meet them at the east entrance to town and go northeast from there. The castle the Maku Tree mentioned is that way, across North Gorge."

At her rider's direction his horse suddenly turned across Seril's path, forcing Vanessa into a side street. "It's going to be too crowded in the square; we'll make better time if we go around."

Though perplexed at the abrupt change, the girl managed to accept it as his reasoning registered. _'I hope it's not going to be like this the whole way,'_ she thought with an internal grimace. _'He's gonna be hard to keep up with if so…'_

Then again, she shouldn't expect less of the Hero of Time; Kayne had once told her being unpredictable was the first step to gaining the upper hand in a fight.

The streets quickly passed by them, and within minutes the buildings thinned out around them until they had reached the palisade wall that defended Lynna from all casual and some major threats. A few of the city's militia men paced back and forth atop thin catwalks erected along the inside of the sharpened posts, eyes alert for danger within the forest a hundred yards away. Link halted Epona just before the gate, where a group of ten impatient cavalrymen waited.

Their captain, the eleventh member of the troupe, nudged his horse toward them and saluted. "Well met, Hero," he greeted cordially—though his weathered face was set in the neutral expression of someone embarking on a dangerous mission. "I trust your errand has been completed?"

Link nodded, motioning for Vanessa to move Seril up beside him. "This is Vanessa Satori. She'll be joining us for the duration of the journey. Vanessa, this is Captain Lysander."

The girl offered a sincere "Pleased to meet you" and ducked her head humbly. Lysander nodded politely in return but eyed the sword on her hip skeptically, obviously doubting the girl knew how to use it properly. He had the grace not to voice his thoughts, at least. "Understood, Hero. Shall we be off, then?"

At his superior's nod, the captain turned his horse around and signaled to the troupe to move out. The horses snorted and whinnied eagerly as their riders kicked them after the Captain, Link, and Vanessa. On the other side of the wall they surged forward into a quick lope, streaming across the hill toward the forest like a cloud released from the wind's direction to move as it pleased.

As they rode away from Lynna, a slow grin grew on Vanessa's face. She was starting off on her own adventure at last, and the fact that the Hero himself trusted her to be able to hold her own added immensely to the satisfaction and excitement of the venture.

She couldn't wait until things really got going.


End file.
